


3 Squids One Hydro Bill

by Rider (inkyblackrider)



Category: Splatoon
Genre: M/M, Polyamory, Splatoon (Manga), everything is gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-08-27 02:19:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16693561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkyblackrider/pseuds/Rider
Summary: Rider's 22 and his funds are actively going down the drain, his minimum wage job isn't worth keeping and overall he's completely bored after leaving the turf war scene.At least his co-worker is cute.(poly glasses/rider/goggles fic eventually)





	1. Chapter 1

There's so many bills on the kitchen table. They'd been piling up for the past week and Rider had been more than willing to opt out of acknowledging them and instead putting all his time and energy into working his minimum wage job, letting his savings account run dry and the cute waiter he'd met maybe a three days ago who was supposed to be training him to also wait on tables.

Rider had only seen this mysteriously rambunctious waiter outside of work a handful of times, each time he'd been wearing a pair of pilot goggles and would actively go out of his way to avoid looking Rider in the eyes or so much as even acknowledging the two of them were the same general area. 

When they worked together and were forced to acknowledge each others general existence, the other waiter would turn his head and speak under his breath. Which absolutely meant that Rider's training experience was both bland and uninformative. 

It wasn't until the day he'd briefly brushed his hand against the other's hand, only recently being able to call him “goggles” since the blue inkling didn't feel the need to disclose his name until Rider managed to snag a peek at his crooked name tag, that he realized what exactly was going on here.

It's not like he didn't also harbor some sort of crush on him. His dorky antics were endearing, the way he spilled drinks on peoples tables and profusely apologized while blue in the face combined with how Goggles would bounce along with whatever poppy song was playing on the radio today didn't help.

But Rider wasn't the type to point things out. Especially since Goggles' already seemed jittery around him no matter what he did, even attempting to be a little nicer to him than the normally abrasive squid was.

So it went on for weeks like this. Rider would come home from a long day of awkwardly avoiding confronting the fact his co-worker was harboring a crush on him that was obviously affecting how the two operated in their day to day lives.

He'd throw another bill on the table, ignoring his responsibilities until the last moment and focus on Goggles.

\---

Early morning shifts leave Rider feeling miserable nine times out of ten, mainly because he was not capable of falling asleep at a reasonable hour. Maybe that was the reason he'd been zoning out so much this morning in particular.

Rider had been idling around the corner of the dining room for a few moments now, fidgeting with his notepad and gliding the pen across it over and over, leaving thick blue ink streaks that served no purpose or meaning other than to distract him from what was....the worst fucking morning of his life.

His eyes burned, sleep still hanging heavy on him despite the hours he'd been up by now. So maybe it was a blessing in disguise when he heard Goggles' familiar laughter and sudden squeak as he found himself all too quickly colliding with the other squid.

Goggles lets out a yelp, the tray in his hand lurching forward along with all three of the drinks on it, tipping forward to splash down the front Rider's uniform, effectively soaking the sleek black vest and potentially absorbing into the white dress shirt underneath.

“Rider! Oh gosh I'm soooorry!” Goggles wails instantly, embarrassment dusting his cheeks in the form of a heavy blush while Rider stares down at the wet stain streaking his front before looking back up at the other. 

“Cod- Watch where you're going!” he snaps and Goggles shrinks, ears visibly drooping.  
Rider can't help but feel responsible, an inkling of sympathy smashing into his cold heart. If anything it wasn't Goggles fault, it was his own. Which he was very aware of.

“No listen- Cod. It's fine, you didn't know.” Rider offers, patting Goggles' shoulder briefly. The blue inkling raises his ears a bit, a soft smile pulling at his lips and Rider's heartstrings at the same time. Great.

“I can help you get clean! I know a great trick!” the quirky squid offers, grasping at Rider's hand before the other has time to protest, aside from a soft groan, and drags him along towards the mens bathroom.

Tray in one hand and Rider in the other, Goggles leads him over to the hand dryer. The other drops Rider's hand to gesture at the machine on the wall with his own, a full smirk on his face that Rider can only assume means he's proud of himself for coming up with a solution. And for once it's not entirely bad.

“You're something else, Goggles.” is all he can say, earning a pleased “mhm!” from the blue inkling as Rider stuffs his note pad in his pocket and starts wiggling off his soaked vest. Cod. The scent of lemonade was going to haunt his senses today.

As he thrusts the wet fabric under the automatic dryer and both Rider and Goggles' ears are assaulted by the loud obnoxious hum of hot air being viciously forced out, Goggles seats himself on the bathroom counter, kicking his legs and bopping his head to the tune of the radio that was faint but still audible enough to reach the bathroom. Apparently.

Rider busies himself with drying off his work uniform, only briefly glancing at Goggles here and there as he continuously thrusts the wet fabric in his hands under the dryer each time it shut off, determined to get it at least half way dry.

Satisfied with his job, Rider pushes himself forward to drop the vest on the bathroom counter, leaning against it in order to look Goggles' over. 

“We can't keep doing this shit, dude.” he breaks the silence and Goggles instantly snaps out of his daze to look over at Rider, one of his brows snapping up to indicate he didn't quite understand.

“Just last week you tried to sweep me into a dustpan, you mopped over my shoes, spilled hot tea on a customer because I came up behind yo-” 

“I'm sooorrrrry!!!!” Goggles cuts him off with a whine and Rider snaps his fingers, silencing the other immediately.

“Oi, listen. My point is. You're a work hazard, man. You can't even look at me most days.” Rider firmly points out, because it's true. Goggles wasn't even looking at him right now, his gaze was dead set on the bathroom flooring as a heavy dusting of blue hit his cheeks.

“Here's the deal. Tomorrow night, because I did not get enough sleep for this today. You and I will go out for drinks. Non Alcoholic.” They both may be in their twenties but Rider had no interest in seeing Goggles even somewhat intoxicated. 

“Rider...?” Goggles finally pipes up, lifting his gaze a little to reveal his slightly watery eyes and stunned expression. “Like....a date? Are we going on a date? ...Rider?” that's not at all what Rider had said but from what romcoms Goggles had sat through with his roommate, Glasses, it was only safe to assume that the only reason someone would ever invite him out for drinks was a date.

“More like a uh. Test. Date?” Rider clarifies, tapping his fingers against the counters as Goggles hums, thinking it over.

“Soooooooooo you like me?” he tilts his head to the side, fiddling with the apron around his waist momentarily. It takes everything in Rider not to sigh openly.

“What? Are you going to say you don't like me. I've seen the way you panic when we see each other in public!”

“No no! I do!!” Goggles cuts in to defend his crush, stumbling over his words with how fast he was forcing them out.

“Then yes or no? C'mon we're at work we don't have time.” Rider pushed, rubbing the back of his neck. His confidence was going to be the death of him someday. 

“Alright alright! I'd love to, Rider!” the blue inkling chirps, hopping off the counter without warning. A soft trill leaves Goggles' throat and Rider can't help but feel only...slightly awkward about it.

Trilling and chirping were both highly intimate vocal noises one squid could make at the other, normally reserved for squids who were actively dating each other and not the coworker who asked you out for drinks in the bathroom after you soaked him in lemonade and possibly pepsi.

Rider decides to forgo commenting on it, not even wanting to address the fact Goggles had so openly done that in front of him. Maybe it was just a bad habit.

“Right-” 

“Right!” 

Rider exhales, pinching the bridge of his nose.  
The rest of their shift was going to be somewhat if not entirely awkward.


	2. Chapter 2

“He finally asked you out?” Glasses' voice fills Goggles' ears as the blue inkling adjusts his namesake goggles on his head in front of the full length mirror in his bedroom, glancing over his shoulder at his roommate.

“I guess so! He said it's like a test. I wasn't really good at those in school!” Goggles chirrups, turning his attention back to fussing over his appearance for what was possibly the first time in his life.

“That's uh...great!” Glasses tone is strained but supportive and Goggles picks up on it for only a moment before getting distracted by a speck on his cheek that he furiously rubs at with a closed fist.

It'd been a daily routine for Goggles to come home and gush about Rider and Glasses suspected that the onslaught of words tumbling from his mouth about his co-worker was due to how pent up and quiet Goggles' was required to be around his crush.

It all came rushing out at home though and Glasses was highly aware of Goggles' budding feelings. In fact he even encouraged the other to act on it. Goggles being interested in anyone outside of platonic friendships was a rare sight.

The two had known each other since kindergarten, fought together in some minor competitions here and there and eventually ended up rooming together in their admittedly small apartment.

The apartment itself was a disaster, text books and papers strewn over the table and dishes piling up in the sink from weeks of use.

Glasses didn't have time, he was busy with college classes and applying for jobs. And Goggles could only take the strain of working half the week. So the two were living in a disaster almost a little...too happily.

“What do you like....do on the first date?” Goggles questions, blinking in the mirror as he smooths his hands over the front of his casual sweater, eyeing Glasses in the mirror rather than turning to directly face him.

“Well you usually you talk and learn things about each other?”   
“Like what things???”

Glasses shrugs, taking a few steps forward until he's beside Goggles', gently dipping his fingers in the collar of his roommate's sweater, pulling at the tag.

“Like why your sweater is on backwards.” He snorts, causing the other blue inkling to swat his hands away with a soft laugh.

“I'm nervous!” Goggles defends himself, wiggling his arms out of the sweater sleeves so that he could maneuver the fabric around his body without taking it off in front of his roommate, successfully managing to get it right. 

“You'll be fine. And uh hey. I've got an exam tomorrow so try coming home early tonight...?” Glasses questions, tugging at his tie in a moment of anxiety as Goggles grabs his bag and pulls it over his shoulder.

“I won't be out late! Rider's going to drive me home!” Goggles smile is incredibly intoxicating and each and every time he flashes it in front of Glasses, Glasses can almost feel his heart beat start up.  
Which had been a reoccurring problem since the pair was thirteen.

 

Within moments Goggles is bounding out the front door, shouting a quick “Bye! Love you!” to Glasses like he usually did, and as always it leaves Glasses completely dumbfounded as he stands in the empty living room, nervously pulling at his tie as a heavy blue blush burns at his cheeks at his stomach churns uncomfortably.


	3. Chapter 3

The place Rider had picked wasn't too crowded, a small cafe with an outside lounge area for the sake of not containing Goggles in one room for an evening.   
String lights lit up the darkening night as the yellow-green squid sat at a table, nursing a dark coffee as he scrolled through his group texts.

He'd purposely picked a place close enough to Goggles' apartment that the other could easily find his way to alone. Although Rider knew there was definitely a heavy amount of ADHD at play in Goggles mind, so he didn't doubt the reason he'd been sitting here alone for six more minutes than he should've been was because his “date” got distracted.

It wasn't until he was nearly on his last sip and running out of friends to bother that Goggles came barreling over to him, skidding to a halt as he took a seat and plopped his bag down on the concrete below them.

“Sorry!!! I'm here, am I late?” the inkling immediately fires off questions, not to Rider's surprise and Rider shakes his head.

“By like twenty minutes, yeah.” the intimidating squid responds, locking his phone and placing it face down on the table.

“Shoot! I'm so sorry. I got kind of lost and I found some gacha machines on the way here so I bought a few and I brought you some!” the blue menace rambles, moving to pull his bag open. 

Goggles' instantly begins placing toy container after container on the table until there's at least six of them and Rider has no choice but to crack the tiniest hint of a smile. This is so incredibly stupid.

“Dude, how old are you?” Rider questions playfully, not entirely out of malice for once in his life as he grabs one of the plastic containers, squishing it and bending the material in his hands slightly.

“19! You didn't know before asking me out?” Goggles tilts his head, genuine curiosity etching his features as Rider shoots a hard glance at him.

“I knew you were 19, idiot!” responding quickly to the bold accusation that Rider would **EVER** ask the other out without knowing such a key detail.

His annoyance is short lived as Goggles' airy laughter cuts into it like a hot knife through butter, the blue inklings hand covering his mouth in a half-heart ed attempt to muffle the sound.

 

Rider can't stop the lime heat dusting over his cheeks as he watches the other, completely lost in bliss in response to something that. Wasn't even a joke.  
The squid decides to tear his gaze off the other quickly, glancing down at the coffee staining the bottom of his cafe cup instead of paying attention to the way Goggles' face positively lit up. Great. Nurse that crush harder, Rider.

The giggling finally stops as Goggles swings his feet under the table, briefly knocking the tips of his shoes against Rider's own. The blue squid perches his elbows on the sides of the table, gaze moving around the outside area of the cafe with interested eyes. His eyes are practically sparkling and Rider isn't sure how much longer he can take this.

“Soooooooo! My roommate says you're supposed to ask questions on a date?” Goggles breaks the silence, smiling at nowhere in particular.

“Yeah, talking is typically how dates go.” The lime squid snorts, amused by the mere idea that Goggles had to ask for date advice from someone who Rider himself had only seen here and there a few times. Usually when Glasses had picked Goggles up from work. Which was about once a week.

They never talked.

With a quick nod Goggles pulls his phone out, entering squoogle (squid google) search of 'top ten date questions' before looking back up at Rider. Oh boy.

“Are you looking questions u-”   
“Where are you from?” his confirmation that yes, Goggles was in fact looking things up right in front of him with no shame, comes in the form of a question that even Rider isn't sure how to answer.

“You wouldn't know it by name, it's a small city somewhere outside of Inkopolis.” That was as much information he wanted to share on that. 

“Neat! I'm actually from Inkopolis! I think? My nana raised me so I'm not quite sure- Oh oh! The next question is about your family? What's yours like?” If Rider's learned anything from working with Goggles it's that his energy was boundless, bouncing off the walls and never ceasing. And he proved it in the way he spoke like a race car, desperate to get each and every thing out before Rider could even process hearing it.

“Uh?” he starts, tapping his fingers against the table as he leans back in the old wooden chair he's seated in. Bad question. 

“Dunno, I haven't seen them since....thirteen?” Rider admits quietly, gaze focusing on the empty coffee cup in front of him before flickering back up to Goggles. 

The blue inkling looks intrigued, his lower lip wobbling as if he wants to ask but knows it'd be rude. And Rider almost wants to tease him for it. In some weird twisted infatuated way. 

But by some miracle, Goggles only continues playing footsie with him under the table, clearly trying to avoid his own curiosity.

“That's ok!” he finally chirrups, although a little too late since the awkward silence sunk in between Rider's answer and Goggles' acknowledgment of said answer.

“The next queeestion....” the blue inkling scrolls through his phone briefly before his gaze flickers to Rider once more. He feels like he's on a game show.

“How many past partners have you h-” Rider cuts that off as soon as he can, swiping Goggles' phone right out of his hands with a nervous laugh. He's not hiding anything. Goggles and him weren't even together yet. But cod if he could do another second of 21 questions.

“Listen, I'll tell you stuff like that once we're actually a thing.” Rider reassures, sliding the others phone back across the table. Goggles doesn't even really seem to process that it was gone, other than in the way his ears drooped as if he were a kicked puppy.

“Sorry, sorry. I'm nervous. Like. Way too nervous! My sweater was on backwards before I got here!” the blue inkling spills immediately, crossing his arms on the table and dropping his head into them, leaving Rider feeling mildly guilty for his snappy attitude.

So with a soft exhale, and a quick rub at his temples, Rider brings a hand forward to rest on one of Goggles' outstretched arms.

“It's alright, take it easy. This isn't like a math test, Gogs. You can't fail.”

Goggles' lifts his head, only slightly, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. There's a slight wobble in his lower lip as he processes Rider's words and then a flood of relief that is noticeable to Rider in several ways.

Goggles' visibly relaxes, tension seeping from his pores in the way he clears his throat as if about to say something important despite his choice to remain silent and merely flash the tiniest hint of a smile at Rider. And fuck if it doesn't make the yellow-green squids stomach twist.

There's several moments of awkward silence that follows, Rider's hand still firmly on Goggles' arm as he's unsure of where exactly to move it. It lingers there, curling his fingers subconsciously in the fabric below them. 

“Your hands warm.” Goggles decides to brave the silence, slicing it in half with three simple words that effectively pull Rider out of whatever daze he'd been in. And no, he definitely was not studying each and every detail of Goggles' face. Rider had no idea of how round his cheeks were, how his nose crinkled slightly whenever he smiled even if it was faint and cod- the way his eyes shone whenever he spoke like every new word was an adventure.

Rider pulls his hand away, albeit reluctantly, muttering an apology under his breath before drifting his gaze towards the string lights that hang above the cafe. Their white glow almost distracts him from the absolute disaster this date was. It didn't help neither of them had particularly bothered to flag down a waiter and order anything so it felt more like they were loitering on a businesses property rather than on a first date.

It's only when Goggles makes the move to reach out and grasp Rider's hand within his own does Rider pull his attention away from the burning white lights to narrow his eyes at Goggles with mild suspicion.   
“I said it was warm, not that you had to move it.” he laughs, light and airy and oh. Rider can feel the burning blush that rises to his cheeks and dusts over the tips of his pointed ears that only droop in response to the embarrassment. 

“Bold. I didn't know you could be this upfront.” Rider shoots back, feeling an uncomfortably unfamiliar warmth spreading through him down to his toes and it makes him want to melt on the cafe chair as he hesitantly intertwines his fingers with Goggles own.

“I didn't know it either! I just was like woooah what if I grabbed Rider's hand and said something SUPER cheesy! And then I did it-!” Goggles instantly lights off like a firecracker and Rider can't help the smile that pulls at his features as he tilts his head to the side and hesitantly brushes his thumb over the back of his co-workers hand in an affectionate manner all too cozy for two people on their first date.

“You're famous right?? or you were. Jeez. I knew you years ago and now we're holding hands and-”   
“You're ruining the moment with your mouth again.” Rider interjects the sound onslaught of words, but his tone isn't malicious or bitter like it usually was whenever Goggles heard him take orders from strangers. There was something in it that both excited and frightened the younger squid as he blinked at the other squid across the table, the tips of his shoes knocking into Rider's boots as Goggles falls silent.

“The cafe was a nice idea, kind of more suited towards people who romanticize dirt water though.” Rider jokes almost out of nowhere, nerves chewing at his insides before he shakes his head. “You wanna go check out the market?” the way his words come out is timid, almost weak, equivalent to the way his knees shake whenever Goggles' flashes that bright and cheery smile in his direction.

“Yeah!” The blue squid is out of his seat before the words even spill off his lips, Rider following suit hesitantly afterwards. 

This was going way different than he expected it to, for the first time in his life *Rider* felt vulnerable.


End file.
